Different Worlds
by fate-has-laid-a-hand
Summary: Santana has more money than she knows what to do with, while Quinn is just a street kid with a bad reputation. What happens when these two girls from seemingly completely different worlds, cross paths? Are they more alike than they realize? Can they trust each other with the secrets of their pasts? Who knows, maybe they'll fall in love along the way.- Quinntana. AU.
1. Are You Okay?

_A/N: I've been reading a lot more lately and I've become obsessed with books having to do with street kids trying to survive on their own for some reason. So, I related it to Glee and...this just sort of happened. I have soo many stories in progress right now so updates for all of them [including this one] will most likely be very slow. Try not to get too annoyed with me. c: _

_Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Glee. Or Quinn. Or Santana. Although I __**really**__ wish I did own Santana._

_Enjoy._

The cold wind bit at your cheeks, sending chills down your spine.

The tears hadn't stopped spilling from your hazel eyes since they started and they were just making your face much colder than it already was.

As the tears streaked down your face, they left stains on your dirty cheeks.

You didn't really care though. Everything you had been holding in for the past three years was pouring out of you all at once and you didn't even bother to attempt to stop it.

The last person you cared about in the world was gone. He was the last person you had. You were alone now.

You didn't know what to do anymore.

You were seriously contemplating just sitting down in a pile of snow until you died.

You couldn't even tell a cop or anything because they'd see this homeless sixteen year old girl in front of them and throw you back into the system, placing you with another foster home.

No.

You couldn't do that.

So...you just left him. You left him and what little possessions you had in your make-shift cardboard house.

You knew he'd be found by somebody.

Some undertaker somewhere would put him in a cheap pine box then bury him in an unmarked grave.

The guilt was setting in and you let her shoulders sag. This was the worst it's ever been for you.

So, there you were.

Sitting by yourself on the sidewalk, sobbing. You got stares from people that walked by you but not one stopped to see if you were okay.

You didn't care about that either though. You just wanted to be left alone and wallow in your own self hatred.

That was, until a beautiful Latina and her friends passed you by.

The girl with darker skin was happily chatting away with her group until she saw you, the heartbroken girl leaning her back against the abandoned building.

Instantly, her own heart broke.

Just as she was about to walk over to you, her short, mousy looking brunette friend grabbed her arm. "San, what are you doing? She could be dangerous," She muttered quietly, hoping you didn't hear her.

The girl with eyes as dark as her hair, shook her head. "She's not," She replied softly before shaking her friend's hand off of her arm.

The Latina walked up to you, kneeling in front of you while pushing up the sleeves of her white wool jacket. "Hey... Are you okay?"

Your head shot up and her eyes met the two dark orbs that were in front of you. "I'm fine," You said, even though tears were still streaming down your pink tinted cheeks.

The girl turned to her friends and told them she'd see them at school Monday morning. They protested for a minute but she argued back and they finally obliged, turning to quickly leave.

She turned back to you. "What's your name?" She asked, keeping her voice soft.

"Quinn," You said in a whisper, not letting your eyes meet the girl in front of you this time. You had lost all the fight that was left in you.

The brunette reached out, gently brushing the blonde hair away from your face. You flinched slightly, causing her to draw her hand back,

"I'm Santana," The Latina girl told you in response, sticking out her hand to shake.

You suddenly felt self-conscious. There you were, dirty and sloppy looking, while Santana looked like she was the brightest thing in the whole town.

You usually never felt ashamed of where you came from or what you were forced into. But this Latina girl was so beautiful that you just wanted to hide.

You shook her head at the other girl's offered hand, folding your own together on your lap. "I'm all dirty. Wouldn't wanna ruin your jacket or anything." To anyone else, that would sound sarcastic. But the brunette could hear the sadness laced into your tone.

Santana couldn't help but roll her eyes before sitting down next to you. Without warning, she pulled you into a tight hug.

To say that you were stunned would be an understatement. You honestly couldn't remember the last time you had been hugged. You forgot what it felt like to have another human's arms wrapped around you.

You sat there stiffly, but didn't push the other girl away.

The walls you had worked so hard on building up over the years, came crashing down in front of a stranger that you had just met.

You kept your arms by your sides but sobbed into the Latina's neck with all you were worth.

Santana just rubbed calming circles on your back.

When she had woken up this morning, she had no idea her day would end up like this. But for some reason, she was strangely okay with holding a homeless girl as she cried.

People were staring at you two weirdly but Santana shot glares at them, silent warnings for them to leave you both alone.

After a while, the your sobs eventually subsided and Santana held you out at arms length. "You hungry?"

She knew what your answer would be, even before you nodded.

She hadn't asked why you were crying. That was one thing you liked about the girl.

**...**

"Woah, slow down there Q, you're going to give yourself a stomach ache," Santana said with amusement in her voice.

You slowed down slightly, but didn't stop shoveling the food into your mouth. It'd been a damn long time since the last time you had this much food in front of you and you weren't about to let it go to waste.

Wait, did she just call you Q?

You hadn't heard anyone call you by just your first initial in a long time.

Santana couldn't help but smile at you.

You didn't know why you had actually gotten into her car and went with her to this diner. Well, you were starving and she didn't seem like she would hurt you.

Then again, she's probably the one who should be afraid of you.

Why had she even bothered to see if you were okay?

You didn't look like a stereotypical homeless girl though. You weren't dressed in ragged clothes and you didn't smell. It looked like you took care of yourself as much as you could. The only giveaway that you didn't have a home, was how dirty your face and hands had been before Santana scrubbed you clean in the restaurant's bathroom.

You were actually really beautiful once you could see your face past all that dirt.

Once your stomach was full, you figured you were on your own again, so you stood to leave.

"Where ya going?" Santana asked, tilting her head to the side.

You shrugged. "Don't know," You answered honestly.

The Latina threw down a few bills on the table before taking your arm and tugging you out of the restaurant and to her car.

"What are you-" But Santana cut you off by saying. "You're coming back to my house with me."

You suspiciously got into the car, eyeing the girl beside you. "If this is a joke, it's not funny."

Santana looked offended. "I'm being serious, Q. You need a place to stay and my parents are barely ever home, so they won't even notice."

Why was this girl being so nice to you? You literally knew nothing about each other.

When you didn't answer her, Santana looked over at you. "If you want to, that is." She added.

You nodded silently, letting your dingy blonde hair fall over your eyes. You were too shocked to speak.

The brunette grinned at you before putting her car into drive and pulling onto the street.

You felt...good. You felt safe and the usual pains in your stomach due to lack of food weren't there right now. The seats in Santana's Cadillac were so comfortable and soft that it didn't take long for your eyes to slip closed. Within minutes, you drifted off into a deep sleep.

Santana just smiled when she noticed that you were fast asleep beside her.

_This is gonna be a long day,_ she mused to herself.

_A/N: Thoughts?_


	2. Why Are You Being Nice?

_A/N: First of all, thank you guys so much for all the sweet reviews, follows and favorites on the first chapter! I loooove you guys for making me smile. Okay so anyway, here's the next chapter, hope you guys still like it!_

_Enjoy._

You wake up to strange, unfamiliar surroundings on a bed that was extremely comfortable.

You shoot up into a sitting position so quickly that your head feels like it's spinning.

Your first response was to panic, but then, all at once, your memories from the day before rush into your mind.

Santana's face appears in your head.

Sighing, you let your head fall back onto the fluffy down pillow as a sick feeling settles in the pit of your stomach. By just being in her house, you realize that you were probably putting her in danger.

You didn't even know what to think right now.

As you look around the room, you also realize that it was definitely the fanciest looking place you've ever been in. You were laying in a king sized bed and there was a half a dozen pillows surrounding you.

There was a deep cranberry canopy hanging over the bed. You felt like a princess.

_Princess Quinn._

That thought made a smile spread across your face.

Maybe you should get up and walk downstairs, hoping for the best?

That was when the strong smell of bacon hit your nose. Your stomach growls loudly.

Holding your breath, you start walking down the spiral staircase, which apparently led directly to the kitchen.

You swear that you must be in a castle; there was no way a normal house could look like this. Everything looked perfect.

You automatically see Santana sitting at the circular island in the middle of the humongous kitchen.

She smiles at you from over the top of the coffee mug that she had raised to her lips. "Morning Q. Help yourself," She gestured to the massive amounts of food surrounding her.

You shake your head. "Not hungry," You say quietly. Your stomach betrays you though, growling loudly once again.

Cursing under your breath, you rest your hand on your stomach. This just makes the Latina chuckle.

She got up and walked over to you, tugging you over to a chair. You didn't argue as she gently pushed you down onto the seat and placed a plate in front of you, piling it with enough food to feed a small family for a week.

"Eat, and then shower. I've got a surprise for you," You didn't know it was possible for her smile to grow any more, but it did. Her dark eyes sparkled and it looked like she was genuinely excited about the day she had planned for the two of you.

You slowly drifted back to reality. "Look, Santana..." You say slowly, pushing the plate away from you. "I really appreciate what you're trying to do and all, but I don't accept charity. What am I, your prisoner?"

As soon as the words left your lips, you wished you could take them back. It'd been a really long while since someone was this nice to you and you figured that you shot your last chance of being looked out for, straight to hell.

Her smile didn't waver though as she lightly patted your back. "Quinn, it's not charity. You can leave any time you want. I just thought we could both use a friend."

Santana never actually was this nice to anyone. You didn't know that at the time though.

You shrank away from her. "You're obviously rich," You gestured around the room. "Why would you waste your time with someone like me?"

She almost looked sad that you'd speak that lowly of yourself. "Money isn't everything," She told you softly.

That made you scoff and you bit your tongue to keep from laughing. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'd much rather cry in a mansion than on the street."

The girl gave you a sad smile. "That's fair enough. But, you have a choice now."

You nodded, but you didn't really need to think it over. You already knew that you would be sticking with this girl until she decided to kick you out.

_**...**_

Just over two hours later, you both had eaten and taken showers in separate bathrooms that were in the same hallway.

You let Santana brush the tangles out of your hair and your borrowed an outfit from her. Thank God you were the same size because although your own clothes weren't ripped or gross, they were still old.

You looked at yourself in the mirror. You don't think you ever looked this good before. Your hair was shiny and perfectly straight and you looked like any normal teenage girl with a home and family. It almost made you want to tear up. Almost.

You figured that you had gone over your yearly quota for crying already.

Santana was standing behind you and when you turned to face her, you smiled at each other.

"San..." You began, testing out the nickname. "I'm sorry I was sort of a bitch before. You just don't really know anything about me. Truth is, I could use a friend. So, if I haven't scared you off yet..." You left your sentence hanging.

She laughed softly. It might've been the most beautiful sound you've ever heard. Why were you suddenly mesmerized by this girl?

"Quinn, I don't get scared easily," She tossed an arm over your shoulders and led you outside to her car.

_**...**_

You'd been on the road with her for about ten minutes. You didn't even recognize the part of Ohio you were in since you left her house.

All you knew was that you were in a big city. But honestly, you didn't even know Ohio _had_ cities that were this big.

You turned to her. "Santana?"

"Yeah?" She answered, stopping the car at a red light and looking back at you.

You dropped your gaze to the spotless car floor. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Since you weren't looking at her, you didn't see that her shoulders visibly tensed at the question.

"I have my reasons," She answered quietly as the light turned green.

You wondered what those reasons were, but decided not to ask.

Santana's voice broke you from your thoughts. "What's your favorite color?"

The question made both of your eyebrows shoot upward. "Huh?"

She shrugged, glancing over at you before focusing her eyes back on the road. "You said I didn't know much about you. So, what's your favorite color?"

You cracked a genuine smile. "Pink," You answered.

Santana smiled back and it made your stomach fill with butterflies. "Mine's purple," She told you.

For the next twenty minutes, the two of you went back and forth asking basic questions. You both kept it silly, with the most serious question being "what's your last name?"

"Fabray," You told her.

"Lopez," She said back.

Then, she pulled up to a plaza with at least a few dozen stores surrounding you.

You raised your eyebrows again. "Why are we here?"

"We're going shopping!" She said happily, parking her white Cadillac and tugging you into the nearest store, which happened to be Gucci.

You laughed, letting yourself be pulled along.

_This girl was way more excited about shopping than any normal person should be_, you thought, watching her flip though a rack of clothes like she was on a mission.

Santana called you over and began piling clothes into your arms. "Here, try these on."

On top of the stack of clothes, she dropped a handbag. The price tag was turned towards you and you could clearly see the price.

_$2,500 for a purse?! What the actual fuck!_

That was like a small fortune to you.

You could have lived off of that money for at least two months.

As you looked up at your friend to ask if she normally spent this kind of money, you saw him in the corner of your eye.

He was hard not to see, standing at 6'5" with scraggly brown hair past his shoulders.

Your heart stopped and your blood went cold.

You needed to get out of there _now._

You thanked God that he wasn't looking in your direction.

How the hell did he find you?

Pushing the clothes you were holding into the arms of a sales lady, you grabbed Santana's hand, pulling her to the exit as discretely as possible.

"What are-" You pressed a finger to her lips and shook your head, hoping she'd get the hint and just follow you.

Luckily, she trusted you for some reason so she shut her mouth and let you pull her out of the store and around the corner.

When you were both a safe distance away from the store, you pressed your back against the side of a tall business building and squeezed your eyes shut. Your hand was still in hers.

"Okay, care to explain why you just dragged me away from a pair of jeans that made my ass look perfect?" You could tell she was trying to ease your mind and lighten up your obvious tension so you gave her a tiny smile.

With your eyes still closed, you muttered, "I'm in trouble, San."

Even though you couldn't see her, you felt her move closer to your side, her grip on your hand tightening. "What kind of trouble?" She asked quietly.

You bit down so hard on your bottom lip that you almost drew blood as you opened your eyes. "I can't do this." And with that, you turned and sprinted away from her, down the sidewalk.

You ran until you didn't have any breath left in your lungs. Leaning against the wall of the place you were standing in front of, you checked to see if there was anyone behind you. There wasn't.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, you stood up straight and turned back around.

You were greeted by the heavy smell of alcohol and the man you feared most in the world.

"Hey Lucy baby," He said lowly, a disgusting grin stretching across his face. "I've been lookin' all over for you." His words were slurred and he reached out, grabbing your arm so tightly that you were sure it would leave a bruise. You bit back a whimper of protest.

"Get away from me," You tried wrench your arm back from his grasp but it just made him close his fingers tighter around your forearm.

"You still owe me, bitch," He growled. Tears blurred your vision but you willed them away. You wouldn't let him see you cry.

You didn't know what to do. There was no way you'd be able to fight him, he was twice your size and he had at least a hundred pounds on you.

The numbness that had racked your brain for the past few days was gone, and fear took it's place.

Your only option was to go with him.

Besides, the person who would normally protect you was dead now.

You were on your own.

Just as you were about to give up, you heard a familiar voice.

"I'm about to go all Lima Heights Adjacent on your ass."

_A/N: I'll explain everything more in the next chapter. Thoughts?_


	3. Why Did You Save Me?

_A/N: Once again, thank you for the reviews, favorites and alerts. You guys are awesome! It seems that I've surprised some of you with the last chapter, and the surprises will just keep on coming. Some of you will like this chapter, while some probably won't. _

_I had to make somebody the bad guy, without including Quinn's family because that's something entirely different. And since I never really liked this guy's character on the show...this is how this chapter turned out. I realize I'm off about his height in the last chapter because he's only 6'3", but I wanted to make him seem more menacing. _

_Oh and sorry if the Spanish isn't right, I can just barely speak English correctly ;p_

_Enjoooy._

"I'm about to go all Lima Heights Adjacent on your ass," You heard your favorite Latina hiss.

He snapped his head around, baring his teeth at her like a wild animal.

Suddenly, you were scared that he'd hurt her.

There wasn't even anybody around to help either of you out.

"What are you doing?" You almost accidentally called her by her name, but you really didn't want him to know what it was. Your eyes were pleading with her.

A part of you wished she'd just turn around and leave you to deal with him yourself. Another part hoped the two of you could actually beat him up.

Wishful thinking.

And, a tiny part of you was amazed that this girl actually cared about you enough to follow you here.

He took one look at her though and laughed out loud, obviously thinking he could easily kill her because of how small she was compared to him. She was probably even an inch shorter than you.

"Beat it princess, I'm doing business here." That was when he back handed her across the face.

You saw red, anger taking over your body and pulsing through your veins.

You know he hadn't really done much damage to her, but just the thought of him touching her in any way made you want to kill him.

Everything that happened next was a blur.

There was a shot of adrenaline running through your body and it made you feel like you could run up Mount Everest backwards in under an hour.

In one quick movement, you gave him a hard shove to get him away from you, thankful that he was drunk and lacked balance.

He ended up on the pavement, cursing loudly as you rushed to the surprised Latina's side.

"You okay?" You gently brushed your fingers along her cheek, which was already beginning to turn red.

She didn't even get a chance to answer you though, because he was already getting back to him feet. "You fucking whore," He roared in your direction.

But Santana was faster in that moment. She must've felt the same adrenaline rush as you because she quickly stepped in front of you. Bringing her leg back, she slammed her foot right into his crotch, not holding back one ounce of her strength. You were both pretty happy that she decided to wear her boots with the pointed toes.

With a load groan, he fell back to the ground, his hands covering whatever private parts he had left intact.

Santana walked right up to him, placing a foot on the center of his chest. "If you _ever_ fucking touch her again, I swear to God I'll chop your _chilito_ right off," She slightly dug the heel of her boot into his chest which made him groan again. "Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth, cabrón?" She added lowly when he didn't respond.

All he could do was nod.

"Good," With one last hard kick to his side to make sure he'd stay down, she turned to you. Wordlessly she held her hand out to you as if to say 'do you trust me yet?'

And, you did trust her.

You took her hand in yours and both of you ran up the street together. She knew as well as you did that you couldn't go to the cops about any of this.

You were too shocked to speak.

She had basically just saved your life.

_**...**_

Santana drove back to her house with you in the passenger's seat. Neither of you said a word the whole time.

How could someone as perfect as her even know about Lima Heights? It wasn't the best side of town.

Okay, that was an understatement.

It was basically the worse side of Ohio.

But something was telling you that there was more to this beautiful Latina than she was letting on.

She pulled into her huge driveway and put the car into park before turning to you. "Q, who did I just kick in the balls?"

The way she said it almost made you laugh.

"His name's Finn..." You started pouring out the whole story to her, not holding one detail back.

You told her that your best friend, Noah, used to protect you from guys like him. Well, his real name was Noah, but he picked up the nickname "Puck" over the years. He had always hated Puck, since you had always hung around him and Finn wanted you to himself. They had known each other for years, and they were always rivals.

But, about a week ago, they got into a fight and Finn had a gun on him. Puck had hidden you behind a dumpster while the whole thing happened.

That was why you had been crying. In fact, you had basically been crying for a week straight before Santana had found you.

Puck was the closest thing to a family you had.

You weren't looking at her, so you didn't know how she was even reacting to any of this.

You didn't get into the story behind your parents though, because you thought that'd be a conversation for another day.

"Now that he knows Puck is gone, there's nothing stopping him from getting to me... He won't give up, Santana." Tears filled your eyes, Puck's face coming to your mind. You missed him and his short mohawk so much.

"Hey," Santana said softly, resting a hand on your shoulder. You raised your hazel eyes to meet her sad brown ones. "I'm really sorry about Puck," When she said his name, something flashed through her eyes, but it was so quick that you couldn't quite catch what it was. "But I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

Her words sounded so sincere that you couldn't help but believe them.

Santana was a lot of things, but a liar wasn't one of them.

It was two sixteen year old kids against the world now.

You made yourself nod.

Then, Santana did something that surprised you. She leaned over and softly but briefly kissed your cheek.

You blinked several times, staring at her, She just gave you a small smile then got out of the car. "You coming or what?" She called to you.

You wordlessly got out of the car and followed Santana into her house.

Neither of you had really seen the face of the other, since it was already dark outside, so when she took a look at your arm in the soft light of the hallway, her eyes widened. Looking down, you saw the hand-shaped bruise that was already forming as well. "Dios mio," Santana muttered, lightly trailing the tips of her finger along your arm. "_Ese hijo de puta_," She grumbled lowly.

You tried not to flinch when she touched your arm, but it hurt like a mother. Santana noticed, so she pulled her hand away. You frowned over the loss of contact though, because you liked the way her caramel skin blended in against your pale arm. You didn't even understand what she was saying, since the few Spanish words you learned in middle school didn't include curses.

But, she motioned you into one of the bathrooms in her house and got out an icepack. "Here," She said, passing it to you.

"Thanks," You mumbled in response, hating the butterflies that fluttered through your stomach as your hand brushed hers.

The red mark that had been across her face was already fading.

Getting your trust was a hard thing to do, but she had it.

_**...**_

"Q, wake up! Quinn!"

You shot straight up in bed, crashing into a warm body that was sitting in front of you and holding your shoulders.

Your body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and you were dangerously close to hyperventilating.

It was pitch black in your room, so you couldn't make out the figure that was trying to calm you down. You knew it was Santana though, because you could recognize that voice even though it was heavy with sleep.

The nightmare you just had flooded your brain and brought tears to your eyes.

Before you fully realized what you were doing, you crawled into Santana's lap and sobbed loudly.

She tightly wrapped her arms around you and rocked you back and forth a little, muttering comforting things into your ear.

It didn't take you long to calm down.

You could clearly hear Santana's heartbeat in the position the two of you were in and you pushed all thoughts of Finn and the nightmare away, concentrating on the Latina who you were partially laying on.

The run in with him happened a week ago, but your subconscious obviously wasn't going to forget about it anytime soon.

You were hoping Santana wouldn't make a move to get up soon, since she was pretty comfortable.

She just shifted slightly so you were lying beside each other.

She didn't ask any questions. A trait that you were slowly growing to love.

Santana slipped an arm around your waist. It took you a minute for your brain to wrap around the fact that she was actually spooning you.

You couldn't help but think that your bodies fit perfectly together.

Judging by the other girl's slow, even breaths, you could tell that she was already fast asleep.

_I think I'm falling for her_... Was your last conscious though before your eyes drooped closed and you fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

_A/N: Well, how'd I do? Just so y'know, reviews totally keep me motivated! c:_

_Also, I'll most likely be updating every Wednesday and Saturday, unless writer's block gets in my way. Which, it probably will at some point._


	4. Why Are You Sorry?

_A/N: Okay so I wrote this while watching the new Glee episode and honestly, I can't stand that Santana and Brittany are no longer together. I just hate Sam. I've got so many feels. UGH._

_Anyway, I've taken the reviews into consideration and I'm attempting to make this story's chapters longer. My attention span is pretty small though, so let's see how that goes._

_I'll also add more canon characters. Eventually, Quinn might get put back into regular society [school, friends, and all that other fun stuff] _

_But, if you hadn't already guessed, there's more to this story than what it seems. _

_Once again, sorry for any wrong Spanish._

_Enjoy._

You were lying on your side, all too aware that Santana was still protectively hugging you to her chest.

You could feel the light thumping of her heart beat against your back if you held your breath and stayed perfectly still.

Not only that, but you could also feel her breasts rub against you slightly whenever she shifted.

It sent odd feelings through your body that you weren't quite used to.

You didn't mind though. I mean, who would really mind having a beautiful Latina pressed against them?

You looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was past noon. You figured she'd be asleep for at least another hour. You really wished you could fall back asleep, but you were wide awake.

Living on the streets had taken its toll on you. You could never really sleep past eight anymore, since you always had to be alert for muggers and various other dangerous people. You normally only slept for about three hours at a time; it was a bad habit that you picked up from Puck.

You had been having a reoccurring nightmare, and Santana had been by your side each time to comfort you in the aftermath of it. She did get tired of having to keep getting up in the middle of the night to walk to your room though, so she decided that the two of you would just sleep in the same bed.

It worked, too. You hadn't had a nightmare since you started sharing a bed with her.

You both did feel a bit awkward at first, but you quickly got over it.

Friends share beds all the time, right?

Tracing patterns on the flowered comforter with your fingertips, you let your mind wander. Soft snoring noises could be heard coming from the brunette, but other than that, you'd be able to hear a pin drop because it was so quiet.

A voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Tana!"

If Santana's grip around your waist wasn't so tight, you probably would've jumped through the ceiling. You didn't recognize the voice, but that was probably a good thing. It was obviously coming from the other side of the door, but it sounded pretty far away.

For a split second, you thought it was her mother, but realized that the voice sounded a bit too young. It didn't seem threatening though, so you slowly slipped, in by inch, to the edge of the bed.

A warm feeling seeped into the pit of your stomach when Santana let out a small whimper of protest and tightened her grip on you when you attempted to pull away.

You finally managed to slip out of her grasp, just as you heard the same voice call, "Saaantaaanaaa!" It sounded closer this time.

You made your way over to the door and pushed it open a bit. Not seeing anyone, you stepped outside of the room, into the long hallway.

Turning the corner, you slammed right into a tall, pretty blonde.

"Oof!" You yelped, stumbling backwards.

Even though the blonde seemed more surprised than you were, she reached out and grabbed your arm, preventing you from falling.

After you regained your balance, you didn't know what to say. Should you greet her? Introduce yourself? Ask why she's here?

"Thanks..." You finally manage.

The blonde just nods slowly. She looks like she's thinking about something. Or maybe trying to figure out what's going on.

"I'm Brittany," She says after a long beat.

"Quinn," You answer with a small nod.

Another long pause.

"Is Santana around?" Brittany asks you. She's holding a red duffel bag in her hands, swinging it back and forth slightly.

It's then that you realize that she was one of the people walking with Santana the day she found you.

"Um, she's sleeping, but-" Before you can finish your sentence, a groggy voice coming from behind you interrupts you by saying, "She's awake. Hey Britt-Britt."

You turn and sure enough, the Latina is standing a few feet behind you, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

She leans her shoulder against the wall as she lets out a loud lawn

Santana's hair is wild and she sort of looks like she just got into a fight with a bear, but she's still stunning.

You self-consciously run a hand through your own hair.

You notice that the other blonde's blue eyes light up when she sees Santana.

"Hi," Brittany says happily, brushing past you to hug the brunette. "You left your Cheerios bag in the gym yesterday," She adds, dropping the duffel by Santana's feet.

"Thanks," She grins at Brittany, who returns the smile.

You feel a faint burning in the pit of your stomach, but refuse to believe it's due to jealously.

Looking around the taller girl, Santana catches your eye. "And, morning, Q," She smiles in your direction.

You give a small wave.

Brittany visibly relaxes, apparently happy that Santana actually knows who you are.

"Oh, Britt, this is Quinn. Quinn, Brittany." She introduces the two of you, but both you and Brittany just smile at her.

_**...**_

The three of you hung out around Santana's house for most of the day. Brittany left after her mom called and started yelling about something.

After the first hour or so of having her around, you decided that you liked Brittany.

She rambled a lot and when she talked, she changed topics frequently, but she seemed genuinely nice and sweet.

The one thing that you liked best about her was that she didn't ask any questions. She reminded you of Santana in that way. It actually made you wonder if she was telling her friends about you.

Still, you couldn't help the pang of jealously that shot through your body whenever either of them brushed against each other or shared a smile.

They didn't give any real indication that they were more than friends though.

Hell, you didn't actually know if Santana even played for both teams.

You pushed the thoughts from your brain though.

Sure, she was being extremely nice to you and she even let you stay at her house. But, come on now. Did you actually think you had a shot with her?

Even if she _was_ into girls, you knew that it was basically impossible for her to ever want you that way.

You were a homeless kid.

She was a rich kid.

The two of you were just friends by chance.

Case closed.

_**...**_

While Santana is at school during the week, you caught up on the plots of various TV shows and movies, since she had Netflix hooked up onto every TV in the house. You were reluctant to go outside after the incident with Finn.

She said you could basically do anything you wanted, but made you promise that you wouldn't watch The Notebook without her. It was apparently one of her favorites but you had never seen it before. She told you that watching it was pretty much a rite of passage for every teenage girl and she wanted to be there for it.

You had been staying with her for over a month and you hadn't seen either of her parents once. Part of you was happy about it and the other was kind of felt bad that the older Lopezs didn't seem to be involved in Santana's life whatsoever. She really wasn't kidding when she said they were never around.

Although, this house was so big that even if they were here, you could easily hide from them.

You also had a chance to explore the big mansion more.

You discovered an elegant dining room, with a long mahogany table that seats ten and a crystal chandelier hanging above it. You knew it couldn't have been used often. As far as you knew, three people lived in this house besides you and two of them were never even around.

_Why would anyone even need a house this big?_ You wondered, sinking down onto one of the chairs around the table, which looked like it was hand-crafted.

Santana wouldn't want to eat at that big table all by herself. It'd be a reminder that she's basically the only person who lives here. There wasn't a speck of dust on it though, which meant the Lopezs must've had a housekeeper.

Scratch that, _several_ housekeepers. Because you had pretty much been through every room so far and there wasn't one thing that looked dirty or dusty. There was no way that just one person could keep this whole house clean.

You wondered if Santana's family was ever invited over for holidays. There was surely more than enough space for a big family get together.

There was a fireplace that was made of the same wood as the table and there were two small frames with sayings on them in Spanish on opposite ends of the hearth.

_Una familia que reza unida, permanece unida._

_Hogar, dulce hogar._

You didn't know what either really meant, but you thought they had something to do with family. Which was ironic.

You never asked her about her family though, since she never asked about yours.

It was almost like an unspoken, mutual agreement that no one would bring up the others family.

You didn't think she had a good relationship with her relatives, even though they obviously provided her with everything she needed.

But the table brought you back to your own childhood.

It reminded you of Christmas as your grandparents' house when you were a young kid. You had a small family but everyone got alone and loved each other.

You shook the memory from your head.

No use dwelling on the past now.

_**...**_

It was Friday and you were lying face down on the bed in one of the spare rooms when you heard footsteps. You looked up and saw Santana leaning against the door-frame with her arms crossed.

"Get up," It wasn't a command, but it wasn't a suggestion either. You didn't bother arguing with her or asking you. You just stood up and faced her.

She reached out and took your hand, tugging you out of the room. "You've been inside for too long Q. You need some fresh air."

You found that you were holding her hand a lot lately.

She began tugging you down the stairs with her. "I don't want-" But before you even finished your sentence, you missed a step and your left foot stumbled over your right.

As you groped for balance, your hip slammed into the railing and just as you were about to go tumbling down the steps, Santana reached out and caught you by your waist, quickly snaking her arms around you to prevent you from falling.

It was the second time she saved you.

It was a spiral staircase and there was a good chance that you would've ended up breaking your neck.

"Thanks," You quietly said, unintentionally leaning back against her as you took in a deep breath, trying to lower your heart rate back to normal.

You felt her nod slightly. Since she was standing one step higher than you, she was taller than you by a few inches.

It was weird, but you just felt safe whenever her arms were around you. Besides, she wasn't making a move to pull away from you. It was an awkward position to be standing in, since your head was sort of tucked under her chin, but not quite.

After a just a moment though, you both pulled away simultaneously.

As you turned to face her, you shared a sheepish smile with each other.

"You alright there?" Santana asked, lightly poking your shoulder.

"Just great," You said quietly before clearing your throat.

Something flashed through her eyes again, but you still couldn't make out what it was. "I'm sorry," She muttered, turning and fleeing back upstairs. She seemed to forget her plan to get you to leave the house.

You stood there, confused. Sorry about what? Keeping you from falling down the stairs? Giving you an awkward hug?

But deep down you knew that there was more to that small gesture than that.

You couldn't help but think that there was something this Latina wasn't telling you.

You did know one thing though.

Santana Lopez had a thing for making you speechless.

_**...**_

It would have been obvious to a blind person that Santana was avoiding you.

You lived in the same house as her and you hadn't even caught a glimpse of her in four days.

Even though this house was huge, you normally spent every minute she was home with each other.

It was now Tuesday night and you were determined to track her down.

You looked through every room in the house until you finally found her curled up on a red cushiony chair in the middle of her home theater.

You sat beside her. If she noticed your presence, she didn't make any indication of it.

After a few minutes passed, you were getting tired of the heavy tension that was weighing down on both of you.

The room's dim lightening was making it difficult for you to fully see her face.

"Santana?" You said quietly, as if speaking at a higher volume would cause one of you to shatter.

"Mhm?" She kept her eyes straight ahead.

You were almost surprised that she answered you.

"Do you want me to leave?" When you said that, you weren't talking about leaving the room. You meant leaving her life.

And she knew what you meant too, because she turned to you and gently cupped your cheek in her hand. "No," She whispered so quietly that you could barely make out the one syllable. "It's just..." Santana sighed, leaving her sentence hanging and letting her hand linger on your cheek for just a moment before pulling it away.

"It's just what?" Your voice came out a little too squeaky and it almost sounded like a yelp.

Santana let out another heavy sigh before she let her head fall into her hands. "It's just complicated, Quinn."

_Shit, she used my full name_, you thought to yourself. The only time she ever called you Quinn instead of Q anymore, was when she was trying to be serious.

You nodded slowly, not exactly knowing how to respond.

Everything in your life was always complicated and you usually understood why. But now, you had no idea.

Another round of silence took over the room.

Santana kept her head in her hands and refused to look at you again.

You didn't have much experience in this area of life before. You've lived on the streets, learned to fight for yourself and had to steal to survive, but no one ever really taught you about love.

Puck, who was two years older than you, like Finn, especially never spoke of it. He always told you that it wasn't worth it and only stupid people with nothing better to do fall in love. Love was only real in those romantic movies that teenage girls watch. "Sex is for revenge and making kids," You remember him telling you countless amounts of times.

You didn't know much about anything when you were twelve, and you thought the big fourteen year old who was supposed to be your mentor knew everything about everything. So, you grew up with the notion that love was bad.

He also said that guys like Finn were the reason to stay away from love.

He never did mention anything about you being in love with girls though.

But, if what you're feeling right now is love, then there's no way it's bad.

You lightly poked her shoulder. "San?"

Keeping her head down, she responded with an absentminded, "Hm?"

"Did anyone ever tell you that love was bad?" Your voice suddenly sounded so small and innocent that you were surprised it even came from your mouth.

Santana finally looked up at you. Tears were in her eyes and running down her cheeks but she didn't bother to wipe them away. Your heart broke at the sight. She didn't answer, but she didn't have to.

But before you knew what was happening, your lips met hers and the next thing you knew, you were kissing the beautiful Latina that you were infatuated with.

If somebody had walked up to you a few months ago and told you that in the near future, you'd be kissing a gorgeous Latina girl, than you would have laughed in their face.

But, here you were, your lips locked to Santana Lopez's.

Your mouth fit hers perfectly.

The kiss was innocent, much like that of two third graders who want to see what kissing feels like.

You're not exactly sure who leaned into whom or who's lips were the first to start it, but you were positive that you didn't want it to end.

But, it seemed that as soon as it started, it stopped. Santana was pulling away and shaking her head again. "Quinn." The way she said your name, made your heart hurt.

She sounded so desperate and lost that you felt like you should be the one comforting her for once.

It was like she was begging you to not do this.

"It's complicated, right?" You tried to hide the heavy disappointment in your voice, but you knew as well as she did that it wasn't working.

"I'm sorry." She said it in the same tone that she did on Friday. You weren't sure how she meant it then, but you were now.

Santana was sorry that she got your hopes up.

_A/N: Raise your hand if you're confused. I apparently have a thing for confusing people c: If you actually are though, shoot me a PM. This isn't the last chapter or anything though, so don't worry._

_Thoughts?_


	5. Wait, What?

_A/N: As always, thank you oh so much for the nice reviews, alerts and favorites. Damn, I really don't mean to confuse you guys as much as I apparently do. _

_OH, just wanted to say something to two of the people who reviewed; _

_**boringsiot**__, you gave me an idea for part of this chapter by something you said in your review on the last one. :'D Hope you don't mind that I use it! Who the hell __**doesn't **__like the Backstreet Boys?! *virtual hug to you*_

_AND, __**LostInNaya'sEyes:**__ Yay! I'm glad I'm not the only one that hates Bram/Sam in general. We are now friends. Okay? Okay. c:_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I obviously do __**NOT**__ own the song "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys so please don't go all crazy on me if I use some of the lyrics to the song in this chapter._

_Enjoy._

It's late Sunday night and you're lost in your own thoughts.

You were the one avoiding Santana this time. Although, you didn't think she'd be looking for you anytime soon either.

Those two little words kept replaying through your head, clouding every other thought.

_I'm sorry._

Your paranoia was getting the best of you.

You thought you knew what she was sorry about, but you couldn't be sure now. Maybe her parents were totally against her being in a relationship with another girl. That would be somewhat understandable.

But, she had never told you one thing about her family.

Santana hadn't specified it and you hadn't asked.

But, she didn't seem like the type of girl to listen to authority figures.

You had wanted to tell her how she shouldn't apologize.

How you had wanted to kiss her since you met her.

How you wanted to do it again.

But, you couldn't utter a word at the time.

Because, Santana?

She was the best damned kisser in the world. Your head was still reeling from the taste of her lip gloss.

You wanted to feel her full lips pressed against yours again and trace your fingers along the smooth, caramel skin of her jaw line.

You kept mentally slapping yourself though. You were a very stupid girl if you thought there could ever be anything more than friendship between the two of you.

You felt helpless in the whole situation and you hated it. If you weren't in control, then you had to count on someone else. And, you've learned that other people couldn't be trusted.

Santana might be different though. Well, at least you thought she was.

You weren't too sure of anything anymore.

You didn't want to think about her any longer, but you couldn't help it. You were in her house and wherever you went, it smelled like her.

A mixture of vanilla and something else that you couldn't quite put your finger on.

There was a huge sound system in the room you were in and you decided to get up and turn it on. Maybe some music would help clear your mind.

No such luck though.

Because as soon as you click on the radio, the DJ says, "And now for a throwback from the late 90's."

The intro to _I Want It That Way_ by the Backstreet Boys begins playing through the speakers.

You groaned quietly. You actually did like the song, but it related too closely to your current situation for it to be enjoyable at the moment.

You flopped back down on the bed, your face buried into a frilly pillow.

This time, instead of wallowing in your own self-hatred, you chose to pity yourself.

"But we, are two worlds apart, can't reach to your heart..." You half-sang half-mumbled into the pillow. You thought of how ironic the lyrics were before singing along with the chorus. "Tell me why..."

After a no more than a second, you heard a soft, raspy voice sing out, "Ain't nothing but a heart ache..."

You lifted your head from the pillow, looking up. Santana was standing in the door way with her arms crossed. She looked sad.

You were surprised at the intensity and quiet powerfulness of her voice.

"Tell me why..." You sang back shyly.

She bit her lip and didn't meet your eyes. "Ain't nothing but a mistake..."

For some reason, her singing that line made you want to cry. "Tell me why..."

Santana looked away from you completely. "I never wanna hear you say..."

You turned away from her as well as you both sang the last line of the chorus together. "I want it, that way." Your voice definitely wasn't hard to listen to, but you felt like it sounded like a cat getting murdered compared to hers.

"Am I, your fire? Your one, desire?" She took another step towards you, still keeping her eyes from meeting yours.

You turned so you were facing her again, even though she wouldn't look at you. _Yes, you are._ You wanted to yell at her, but instead, you sang, "Yes I know it's too late, but I want it, that way."

Despite your mixed feelings about her right now, you had to admit that her voice was beautiful. You would have told her so, if she hadn't spoken up first.

The song continued to play in the background as the Latina cleared her throat. "Can I come in?" She asked quietly.

You couldn't help the short laughed that escaped you. "Of course. It's your house after all."

She offered you a tiny smile. "Right..." Santana stepped into the room, keeping her eyes cast downwards. It was obvious that she felt awkward by just being around you, even in her own house. "I feel like we need to talk."

You nodded, moving over a little so there was room for her to sit. She remained standing though, but took a few steps closer to you.

She was acting like you were a wild animal, who could attack at any moment. You didn't know exactly why she was acting so hesitant. You were the one who should be scared. She could throw you back out on the street right now if she wanted. Something was telling you that she wouldn't though.

Santana finally raised her eyes to meet yours. "I'm sor-" You held up your hand and shook your head. "Don't. Why do you keep apologizing?" You couldn't help the annoyed tone that seeped into your voice.

She let out a heavy sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed. She was close enough that you could smell her perfume but far enough that her knee wouldn't accidentally bump yours.

"Quinn. There's something you need to know." You had never heard this tone of voice come from Santana before. It was soft and quiet but at the same, it sounded like she was trying to act confident and not back down in saying whatever she had to tell you. She was chewing on her bottom lip like her life depended on it.

"Okay..." You said slowly, a million and one things she could possibly say, racing through your mind.

You were actually becoming scared of what she was going to tell you.

_It couldn't be that bad though, right?_ You hoped as she stared down at her nails.

You prepared yourself for the worst, holding your breath and waiting for her to continue.

Your heart was thumping so loudly in your chest that you were wondering if she could hear it.

"Noah... Was my best friend."

Santana's words came out rushed and quiet and you didn't know if you had heard them correctly.

"Wh-What...?" The word caught in your throat. Your mind was blank and you couldn't form a full sentence.

Was she being serious right now?

"How...how's that possible?" You let every memory you had of Puck run through your mind all at once. He had never mentioned the Latina girl.

"How old were you when you met him?" She asked you, keeping her voice abnormally soft.

"Twelve..." You trailed off. He had never talked about his past with you. You had only known him for four short years. You didn't know exactly what happened in his life from ages one to thirteen. You reasoned that it was very possible for the two to know each other. "How then?"

Santana wouldn't look at you again. She ran a hand through her hair. "It's a long story..." She began.

"This," She threw her hands up, gesturing to the room, "Isn't me. I'm technically a street kid. I came from Lima Heights, Quinn." She stood back up and all you could do was stare at her wide-eyed. Your mouth formed a small "o" shape as hundreds of questions raced through your mind.

Then, she told you everything.

She explained how her parents had died when she was three years old. She had been put in foster home after foster home until she finally ran away with Noah when she was eleven and he was thirteen.

Santana and Noah had been friends since she was seven and he was nine, since they were in the same foster home together.

You couldn't help but wonder who taught her Spanish if her real parents died when she was so young.

That was when Santana pulled her shirt off. Your hazel eyes grew wider and you swallowed hard, feeling your palms become clammy. "Santana..." But the look she gave you, made you stop talking.

"See this?" She pointed to a faint white scar a few inches long, stretching across the tan skin of her ribcage. You nodded mutely, trying to keep yourself from raising your eyes to her bra-clad chest.

"Well when I was twelve years old, just about six months after we ran away, this other street kid who was a few years older than me thought it would be funny to _pretend_ to stab me. He had just stolen a brand new pocket knife. He was just fucking around with me and it was an accident I guess," She was running her fingertip up and down the length of the scar.

"So after I had a three inch knife jabbed into my side, he ran away because he was scared he'd get in trouble," She let out a bitter laugh as her hands started shaking slightly. You wanted to reach out and take her hands in yours, but you made yourself stay still, waiting for her to continue.

"If Puck hadn't been with me, I wouldn't have died there," Santana looked like she was in a daze; her deep brown eyes were glazed over. "His name was Finn and that was the day he became enemies with Puck," Her voice was clear and emotionless.

Her voice suddenly turned harsh and she clenched her hands into fists. "The bastard was probably too wasted to recognize my face when I kicked him in the balls last month. I thought I recognized him, but I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid. Then when you said his name was Finn and mentioned Puck, everything made sense."

There was a lump forming in your throat that you couldn't swallow past. Your blood turned cold at the mention of his name. You wanted to comfort the girl who was standing in front of you, but you were stuck in the spot you were sitting and couldn't get yourself to move. Besides, you weren't sure how she'd respond if you attempted to touch her right now.

More importantly, you wanted to kill Finn.

You had so many questions for her but you continued to keep your mouth shut.

Once again, Santana cleared her throat, as if it was going to prevent her from crying. She tugged her shirt back on. "So, Leroy Berry is a doctor at the hospital Puck took me to. Leroy and his husband, Hiram, heard about our sob stories from some social workers or something. They decided to take us in because they were rich and thought we were harmless," She folded her hands together on her lap as she said this.

Well, after she told you that, you realized her foster family wouldn't have a problem if Santana decided to date a girl, since they were gay themselves. That was one less thing for you to worry about. They must've also had huge hearts.

"They treated us like we were their own kids. Hell, they even put up some Spanish decor around the house to make me feel more at home," She quietly chuckled to herself. "Rachel's their adopted daughter; she's been with them since she was born. She's a pain in the ass, but she accepted us as well as her fathers did." That was the first time you saw a small, genuine smile grace her lips for the past week.

The smile quickly left though, as she continued with her story. "Noah agreed to stay with them too, since he didn't really have a choice. It was either this house," She gestured around the room again, "or some other not-so-nice foster home."

From experience, you knew how bad foster homes could be. No doubt they would both rather stay here.

Your brain couldn't process this information though. "But if that's true... How did you end up here while was Puck still living on the streets?" It amazed you that you could even form a coherent sentence.

Santana squeezed her eyes shut for a minute and inhaled a deep breath. She looked like she was trying to collect her thoughts and prevent herself from breaking down at the same time. She sat back down next to you. "He ran away from here. For some reason, he didn't like it here."

She opened her eyes back up and tried to let out a laugh, but it came out more as a choked sob. "He said he wanted to live on his own."

That sounded like the stupid, overly-independent Noah you knew.

She then proceeded to tell you that a few years later, they bumped into each other on a downtown sidewalk. Santana tried to convince him to come back to the Berry's house, but he wouldn't hear of it. So instead, she started giving him money and whatever else she could, to help him out.

"But, a few months ago, we lost all contact with each other," Her voice was weighed down with sadness. It was obvious that she blamed herself for his death. "He told me that he took in a girl my age, just a few weeks after I went to live with the Berry's. He never told me her name, but I know now that he was talking about you," The Latina raised her eyes to meet yours and she gave you a sad smile.

You didn't know how to react to that, so you didn't say anything at all. You realized that without Santana's help, both you and Puck probably would've died a long time ago. You had always wondered where Puck came up with all that extra cash. She had been saving your life before she even knew who you were.

"Then, when you told me Finn killed him..." Tears filled her eyes again but you still didn't really know what to do, since you were on the verge of tears yourself.

You raised your hand slowly, tentatively placing it on her shoulder. You were relieved when she didn't shrink back or push you away. "It wasn't your fault, you know. Puck was stubborn, San. You must know that better than anyone," You voice was quiet and you tried extra hard to make your words sound comforting.

She gave you another small smile that made your heart flutter but didn't directly respond to you. Her voice grew softer and she didn't sound like she wanted to rip out anybody's throat anymore. "Q, do you know why I even walked up to you last month?"

You shook your head silently, not trusting yourself enough to speak again. It was obviously a rhetorical question, since it was something your mind always wandered back to whenever you thought of Santana.

She silently took your hand in hers. Instead of feeling warm, like it normally did, it was cold. Santana was nervous and for some reason, you found it cute. She was nervous to hold your hand.

"Because I knew you weren't dangerous. You just looked scared, like I had been all those years ago. And I'm not saying that because you look like the stereotypical helpless girl that I know you're not. But I think you'll know what I'm talking about when I say that after a while, you can just spot who's good and who's not by just glancing at them," Santana was lightly rubbing circles on the top of your hand with her thumb. You tried focusing on her words, but your senses were over-whelmed by Santana.

You nodded knowingly and smiled to yourself at the thought of her thinking you were a good person. "Where have the three of them been these past few months?"

Santana shrugged. "They went to Europe to visit Hiram's family. They have a house in England or something and they'll be back in about four months. Sometime in May," She told you.

You slightly raised an eyebrow, trying to get used to all of this new information. "Why didn't you go with them?" You asked, very aware that your hand was still in hers and your fingers were threaded together.

She gave you a half smile and chuckled to herself. "Well, they left the day I found you. Rach was the girl who told me to watch out for you, 'cause you might be dangerous. You probably heard her say it, since she royally sucks at whispering," Santana smiled at your knowing expression, obviously being able to tell that you actually had heard her. "They left that night, which was why I took you to the diner instead of driving you back to the house. While you were sleeping, I told them about you and they said they understood the situation and they said you could move in here if you wanted."

Move in? They would let this be permanent?

This made you even more confused, if that was possible. "They're willing to just let me stay here, even though they literally didn't know a thing about me?" You asked skeptically.

Santana smiled. It was full and genuine and the twinkle that her eyes normally held was back. "They trust my judgment of people."

What surprised you most was the fact that she chose you over going to Europe for six months.

"I knew you needed some help, like I did before," Her grip on your hand tightened slightly and her next few sentences came out in a whisper. "But, I've been afraid of commitment for so long. I didn't know I'd end up falling for you."

You blinked back tears rapidly, staring into her dark brown eyes. You were sure that your heart skipped a beat. "You...fell for me?" You felt a rush of heat flood your cheeks but you didn't even bother to try to hide your blush.

She let out a soft laugh. "I did," Santana answered, before slowly pulling her hand away from yours. You bit your lip at the loss of contact. "I just had to tell you that, before anything happened between us."

"I fell for you too..." You told her quietly.

A face-splitting grin appeared on her face. "You did?"

You intently looked at her for a minute. Her dark eyes sparked with something that resembled hope. Your eyes travelled to her perfect, smiling lips then back of to her eyes. Now, his expression was intense and daring. The corners of her lips turned up into a slight smirk.

Santana knew as well as you did that you wanted to kiss her again.

So, you did.

You responded to her question by leaning over and tentatively capturing her lips with yours. For a minute, you didn't think she'd respond to your sudden action.

But then you felt her melt into you and you smiled against her lips, a billions tiny sparks igniting in your brain.

You both let your eyes fall shut and Santana cupped your cheek in her hand. Your heart was beating so fast that you thought it was going to fall right out of your chest. Your entire body was heating up because of one simple kiss.

After a few moments, you felt her tongue slide across your bottom lip and you parted your lips slightly. Your tongues collided and the only thing running through your mind was how Santana's lips were the best thing you've ever tasted. And even if she wasn't wearing vanilla flavored lip gloss, she'd still be perfect.

_Maybe we can work out..._ That was your only coherent thought as Santana swung her left leg over your lap and straddle your thighs.

You still had so many questions for her, but they could wait. All you needed to focus on now, was Santana and her lips.

Still, that one secret you were keeping from the beautiful Latina was looming like a dark cloud, in the back of your mind.

You needed to tell her.

When you finished kissing her maybe.

The thing was though, you never wanted to stop kissing her.

_A/N: Still confused? I thought so. Here's a recap;_

_Santana lives in a house with Rachel Berry and her two fathers after Finn "accidentally" stabbed her. Puck lived there for just a few months before he ran away again. Santana tried to help him out as best she could while he was living on the street, but she lost contact with them. Puck's dead. Finn's an asshole. Rachel and Santana are...foster siblings? Is that even a thing? I dunno. But, yeah. The two dads are complete sweethearts and take in random homeless kids. Isn't that nice? Oh and of course Q and San fell for each other. BUT, little Quinnie's hiding something. Stay tuned._

_Hope that clears up some things._

_Thoughts?_


	6. Tell Me Your Secrets?

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews and all that other nice stuff, as always! If you haven't noticed, I'm completely making this up as I go along. I'm getting a bit crazy with throwing all these ideas in here, but bear with me; it'll eventually blend together nicely._

_And, sorry about the delay, I've been sick and disinclined to move. Also, I've had a slight writer's block. . But, I did manage to make this chapter longer. You probably don't care though, so on with the chapter!_

_Enjoy._

The weekend came and you spent Friday night snuggled up in bed with Santana, watching _The Notebook_.

Weekends were your favorite because it was usually just you and Santana. Sometimes Brittany hung out with you guys but you didn't mind because you had grown a soft spot for the goofy blonde.

But tonight, it was just you and San.

There was a mountain of candy in front of both of you and you had spent the better part of the night vegging out with her.

You think that it was becoming one of your favorite movies, since it made the Latina act all lovely.

You stole kisses and shared blissful smiles with her.

You didn't know exactly where you stood with her, but you knew that you loved being around her. Neither of you had asked the other to exclusively date, so you didn't know what to think.

Thinking about it, you weren't exactly sure when you began falling for her. In fact, you didn't even know the reason people fell in love. What could possibly be so great about somebody that you would be willing to risk everything for them?

Now, however, you thought you understood what all the hype was about.

You were in the middle of watching the scene when Ali comes back to Noah, when she leaned over and placed a lazy kiss on your lips. You couldn't help but smile as you kissed her back. As weird as it was, whenever Santana was the one to start the kiss, you found yourself smiling against her lips.

Both of you kept the kiss slow, in no hurry to rush anything. You pushed the mound of snacks aside, tugging her closer to you. After a few minutes though, you let a hand wander up her side and under her shirt, lightly stroking the caramel skin that was underneath.

Within seconds of your hand grazing her stomach, Santana shot up into a sitting position so fast that she almost knocked you over. She pulled away from you as if you were on fire. You shouldn't have gone that far. You should have limited it to just kissing. You sat up just as quickly as her.

Santana's jaw was clenched and panic spread through your body. "San, I'm sorry, I didn't-" But before you could finish your apology, you saw that her mocha eyes were filled with tears and it cut your sentence short. Her brown orbs were wide and held something that resembled fear.

Your own eyes widened. You had absolutely no idea that it would make her cry. "Santana..." You dropped your voice to a whisper.

You were just about to stutter out another apology before she shook her head and flopped face down next to you. "Don't. It's not your fault," Santana said in a low whisper before moving her head onto your lap.

You didn't know where to put your hands so you just rested them both lightly on the top of her head, playing with her soft, dark locks. You had no idea what was going on. Before you met this Latina, you thought _you _were hard to figure out. But your random emotions had nothing on this girl.

You quietly sat there with her partially lying on you, waiting for her to say something else.

"I'm..." She began, burying her face into your stomach. "I'm damaged goods, Quinn," Santana's voice was faltering and shaky. It was so uncharacteristic of her that it broke your heart.

Wait, damaged goods? Did she mean what you think she means?

You couldn't prevent your hands from shaking as you gently smoothed them over her hair. "What happened?" You were still whispering, partially because you couldn't get yourself to speak any louder.

"I was seven..." She started. You had to strain to hear her because she was speaking so softly.

Your heart felt heavy in your chest. You didn't want her to finish her story but you knew she had to. For some reason, you felt as if she had never told anybody this before, except maybe Brittany.

You soothingly rubbed your hands along her back. Santana wasn't crying but you could tell she was close to it.

"After my parents died, I went to live with my aunt and uncle here, in Ohio," Her voice sounds far away, like her mind was somewhere else. "My aunt was a sweetheart, but she died when I was seven from a heart attack. My uncle blamed me. He said I was bad luck," She let out a humorless laugh and you held her closer to you.

Then, she told you what her uncle did to her.

He had put his hands on her. She was _your_ Santana. How dare that sick fuck touch her. She was _seven years old. _

Santana told you that she was screaming so loudly that the neighbors heard and called the cops. That's when she was removed from the house and placed in a foster home, where she met Puck.

You understood why she was so reluctant to let you touch her. She was scared.

"The only times I ever actually _let _anyone touch me like that..." She swallowed, wriggling out of your grasp and sitting up slowly. "Was when I was completely shit-faced drunk." You see regret and shame flash through her eyes. She looks like a sad little kid who's been through too much.

You gently slip your arms around her waist and bury your face into her hair. "I'm so sorry Santana. But I'd never hurt you, in any way. Even if I didn't lo-" You cleared your throat, not believing you almost let that word slip. You couldn't see her face so you didn't know if she caught it or not. You tried again. "Even if we weren't close friends, I still wouldn't."

She clung to you tightly. "I know you wouldn't, Q. But that's why I kept apologizing a few weeks ago," She pulled back from you a little and her dark eyes that were glazed over with unshed tears met yours.

"I didn't think it'd be hard with you, because I just felt safe and comfortable around you. I normally can't do commitment, because skin to skin contact is sort of...a big deal to me, like I just demonstrated. I can't give you what any normal relationship needs." The Latina was chewing her bottom lip and looking embarrassed at the confession.

You reassuringly took one of her hands in yours. "It's okay, S. We don't have to be in a relationship or anything. I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with," You were trying to hide to disappointment in your voice as you forced a smile. "I'm okay with just being your friend." It was a lie. You wanted to be more than friends with her. But you couldn't tell her that.

Of course you wouldn't want to date her if she wouldn't be comfortable in a relationship. You wished you could just beat that man up though. Your relationship with her wasn't even your main concern though. You were wondering if she had ever gotten counseling for what she was put through.

Santana gave you a barely-there smile before leaning closer and dropping a soft, chaste kiss on your lips. It surprised you slightly.

Her voice dropped even softer than it was before, and even though you were inches away from her, you could barely hear her. "I don't want to talk about what happened all those years ago though. The thing is Quinn, I want to be in a relationship with you. We'd just have to take things slow... Like, really slow..."

She must've seen the way your eyes lit up when she told you that. "Are you sure...?" You asked, giving her one last chance to back out, even though you were desperately hoping she wouldn't.

Slowly nodding, she raised your hand to her lips and gently pressed her lips to the back of it. "I'm positive."

A face splitting grin took over your face. "We'll take it as slow as you need," You promised, wrapping her back up into your arms. "We can still kiss though, right? And cuddle with clothes on?" You added as an afterthought.

Santana widely grinned at you before recapturing your lips with hers.

Now, you knew the real reason she had apologized to you. You wished it could've been something as simple as her parents not approving of you. That would've made things so much easier for both of you, no matter how weird it sounds.

Instead, your Santana had to get hurt. And that hurt, made her not be able to trust anyone. But you had gotten her to let you in.

You didn't think it was going to go this way. You thought you would be the one with all the problems and the fucked up past. You thought you would be like an injured puppy that she chose to nurse back to health. When she first walked up to you that day, she seemed perfect. You wouldn't have guessed in a million years that such a pretty girl could have such a dark past.

But, the same thing could be said about you.

So, you lay there in each other's arms. Two fucked up kids who needed each other.

_**...**_

The movie had ended about an hour ago and now the two of you were just laying together in the dark. It was so perfect and you never would've thought you could be so lucky.

But, there was something you had been dying to ask Santana ever since you first met her tall blonde best friend.

"Hey, San? You awake?" You whisper, not wanting to wake her if she actually was sleeping.

You hear a muffled voice respond with, "No, I'm sleeping." That makes you laugh softly, and you playfully nudge the girl beside you.

"I wanted to ask you something..." You tell her, propping yourself up on your elbow and facing her dark figure on the bed.

Santana mimics your position after a minute and you can just barely see her brown eyes in the darkness of the room. "Shoot," She answers.

"Well..." You suddenly get embarrassed by the question. She reaches out and pokes your nose, obviously wanting you to continue.

"IwasjustwonderingifyouandBri ttanywereeveranythingmoretha nbestfriendsbecauseIknowyoud on'tdocommitmentbutyouseemreall yclosetoherandsheseemslikesh e'dbeanexception," You rush out so quickly that it sounds like one word.

The Latina lets out a laugh before flashing you a smile. You can see her perfect white teeth, even though it's so dark in the room.

"I love Britt, Q. You already knew that. She's like a sister to me, and she's really the only one besides you that knows my whole back story. So, yeah, I'll admit that I thought I was _in_ love with her at one point, because we were so close and I trusted her." Just as your heart was about to drop into your stomach, she reached out and laced her fingers through yours, giving your hand a light squeeze.

"_But, _after a few drunken nights and awkward conversations, we realized that we were just best friends. Nothing more, nothing less," Santana gave your hand another reassuring squeeze and you let out the breath you didn't realize you were holding. Then she slips both arms around you and pulls you to her chest.

"Don't worry, Quinn. I'm all yours." You can't help the smile that takes over your face as you snuggle into her.

You breathe in the scent that is solely Santana and you rest your head on her chest, staying silent for a few minutes.

"I love you..." You whisper before you even know what you're saying.

You panic for a moment, before realizing that Santana's breaths are slow and even, meaning she was already fast asleep. She hadn't heard you and you weren't sure if you were relieved or disappointed over it.

Nevertheless, you just cuddled her closer and let your eyes fall shut.

Love would be a conversation for another day.

_**...**_

You had gotten a tutor who didn't ask questions about your situation. Hiram and LeRoy had apparently set up this tutor -even though they were still in Europe, to come by the house for you while Santana was in school during the week. They had wanted you to be able to get your high school diploma, which you didn't even know was possible since you hadn't finished middle school.

You had always been a smart girl who was eager to learn, so you were pretty happy about it. His name was Mr. Schuester and he was a nice guy. He was also really smart, since he could teach you about any basic high school subject.

He said you were at a college English level, which was outstanding with all things considered. Your math wasn't very good though, but with a little work, you'd be at a high school level in no time.

You silently thanked Puck for always bringing you books and different things to read when you were staying with him. Hell, you even found time to read the entire Bible.

But today was Saturday and there were never any lessons on the weekends.

You hated today.

Today gave you bad memories and you hated it.

You should love it.

It should be a really happy day for you.

You _want_ to be able to love it.

But you can't.

You were lying face down on the bed, the same position you were in last week.

"Happy birthday Quinn!" You heard before a warm body came crashing down on top of you.

"AHH!" You gasped out as all the air left your lungs. Jerking your head up, you met bright blue eyes and a smile. "Brittany! You scared the shit out of me!" You breathed, as she collapsed into a fit of laughter on top of you.

You couldn't help but smile before pushing Brittany off of you. "Not funny," You complained, covering your heart with your hand and sucking in deep breaths.

"Sorry," She coughed out in between laughs.

You stuck out your tongue at her but she just grinned back.

"It's adorable to watch you guys interact." You looked towards the door and sure enough, your favorite Latina was standing there with her arms crossed and a huge grin on her face.

"`Tana!" The tall blonde launched herself into Santana's arms.

You smiled fondly at the two of them. She thought you and Brittany looked adorable together? She apparently hadn't seen herself with Brittany.

If you didn't lov-_like_ Santana so much, you'd totally want them to be together.

You weren't jealous of the way the two of them hugged or talked anymore. They weren't together and Santana was yours. They were just friends and beyond cute.

Santana laughed and hugged her back before whispering something into her ear. Brittany looked back at you with a grin before nodding at the brunette and leaving the room. "I'll be downstairs!" She called over her shoulder.

You gave her a wave before Santana walked over to you and dropped a kiss on your forehead. "Hey Q," She smiled.

"Hi," You weakly smiled back, not being able to shake the thought of the day from your mind.

Her smile turned to a frown. "What's wrong?" Santana asked, worry flooding her features as she sat beside you.

You blew out a sigh, letting your fake smile drop. "It's just...I'm not a big fan of my birthday," You confessed.

She rested a hand on your knee, slowly nodding. "Any reason why?"

Your gaze hit the floor and you nodded hesitantly. It was now or never.

You didn't look at her, because you were scared of the reaction that she'd give you.

But, you knew you had to tell her. It was only fair. She basically had told you her whole life story, and you were hiding the biggest part of yourself from her.

You knew you had to tell her that one thing that you had never directly told anyone before.

You took in a deep breath and held it until you felt like your lungs were going to explode.

Santana patiently sat there beside you, waiting for you to continue.

"I... I have a daughter. We share a birthday. I gave her up fifty one weeks ago."

The silence in the room was deafening.

You couldn't make yourself meet Santana's eyes but her hand hadn't left your knee.

You didn't want to see her reaction as she kicked you out.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner..." You added when it was obvious that she wasn't going to respond.

Suddenly, you felt strong yet soft arms wrap around your shoulders.

Why was she hugging you? Shouldn't she hate you?

You didn't realize you were crying until just then.

Without thinking, you tightly wrapped your arms around her neck and let out a quiet sob. You didn't even know exactly why you were crying.

"What's her name?" She asked you softly, rubbing circles on your back. If Santana was surprised at all by your confession, she sure wasn't showing it. You wondered what actually would cause her to become speechless.

"Beth," You whispered hoarsely. You felt her slightly nod as she gently started stroking your hair, smoothing down your blonde locks.

"Where is she?" The question wasn't demanding. Santana sounded like she was genuinely concerned and curious.

You rest your heard on her shoulder, tears still streaming down your cheeks. "With my father," You pause to take a calming breath. "I miss her," You add as an afterthought, hating the way your voice cracked.

Your hazel eyes were filled to the brim with unshed tears as you thought about your past. "My father kicked me out when I was twelve, because he caught me kissing a girl," You felt anger burning through your body due to the memory. By the way her shoulders stiffened, Santana didn't seem too happy about it either.

She kept quiet though, letting you continue. "But, I was only _twelve _San. And she was my best friend. It was barely a peck. He didn't even let me explain anything. He was this real religious guy and said that he wouldn't have a _dyke_ as a daughter," Your hands involuntarily balled into fists while you tried to control your anger.

The flashback flooded your brain so quickly that you couldn't stop yourself from remembering it.

_"Come on, we should just practice for when we get boyfriends! We don't wanna be inexperienced, right?" _

_Both you and Mercedes were in the seventh grade. You didn't see the harm in it really, as long as your father didn't catch you. She was your friend and you didn't have any real feelings for her anyway._

_The two of you were sitting crossed-legged across from each other on your bedroom floor._

_"Alright..." You reluctantly agreed with a nod._

_Your dark skinned friend grinned at you and you both leaned in, sharing a chaste kiss._

_Your lips barely grazed each other's but that's all your father needed to see._

_"Mercedes! Get out of this house!" When he raised his voice, it had always scared you. But now, his voice was on a whole new level of loud._

_Mercedes' eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head as she scrambled to her feet and scurried out of the door. "I'm sorry, Lucy!" She cried over her shoulder._

_"And _you_," He pointed a finger at you and you crawled backwards, insanely scared._

_"Dad, I-"_

_"NO!" He cut you off. You thought he was going to hit you but instead he stomped to your closet and threw out an armful of your clothes. "I want you out of this house, now!"_

_You didn't bother arguing. Silent tears rolled down your cheeks as you stuffed some things into your pink duffle bag. He stayed by the doorway the entire time. _

_When you were finished, he grabbed your arm and pulled you downstairs roughly._

_Your own father pushed you out of the door, telling you to never come back._

_"I will not have a dyke as a daughter. It's an embarrassment to this family."_

_The calmness of his voice horrified you._

_"But I'm-" He raised his hand, not letting you continue._

_You wanted to scream, "what family!? Mom left you because you're a fucking nut job!" _

_But you didn't. _

_Instead, you left._

_"Don't come back unless you decide to stop kissing girls._

"That asshole," Santana hissed. She didn't seem as if she was trying to mask her emotions anymore, her words coming out as a quiet growl.

You nodded in agreement and squeezed your eyes shut when she lightly pressed her lips to your temple. "I didn't even know what I wanted back then but it didn't take me long to realize that I did love girls. I stayed away because I thought I'd be happier that way. I'd be able to have girlfriends, you know? I didn't want to stop kissing girls, even though I had only done it once before. He was always insane though. A simple peck from my best friend was all it took for him to never want to see me again."

Santana kept you close to her, trying anything she could think of to comfort you. You just kept your head down.

"I..." You swallowed hard. "I went back when I found out I was pregnant. I didn't want to put the baby's life in danger by being pregnant and living on the streets. He let me stay at his house," You looked up at Santana for the first time since you started talking to her about Beth. Her soft brown eyes held understanding and something else that you didn't quite recognize.

"But the only reason he let me stay with him, was because he thought I was into guys, since I let one fuck me." Tears blur your vision again and Santana pulls you into another tight hug. "I didn't tell him that my daughter was the product of a drunken night until after she was born," It came out in a whisper and you thought you were going to break down in her arms again.

"It'll be okay," She promised, holding you out by your shoulders. You managed a small smile in response.

"You don't hate me? Even though I have a daughter?" Your voice became small again and you dropped your gaze back to the floor.

The brunette let out a soft sigh, pulling you back towards her. "Of course not, Quinn. It doesn't change the way I feel about you. We'll get this whole thing sorted out."

You nodded, snuggling against her side. You both stayed silent for a minute.

"Is he her legal guardian?" She asked suddenly, her face lighting up with what looked like an idea. You pulled back a bit and raised an eyebrow at her.

"No, I am. He's basically just looking after her. He told me to get lost a week after she was born. We never even went to court," You answered slowly.

Santana nodded once. "In that case, I have a plan. But first," She stood up and grabbed your hand, pulling you up with her. "You're coming to this Italian restaurant called Breadstix with me and Britt for your birthday dinner. I know you miss Beth, but it's your birthday and I'm determined to make this day great before all Hell breaks loose. You're going to forget about your father for a day and have a good time with your girlfriend and friend, okay?"

You offered her a tiny smile when she referred to herself as your girlfriend.

She cupped your face in her hands and planted a soft kiss on your nose before brushing away any traces of tears from your cheeks with her fingertips.

Wait, before all Hell breaks loose?

What was this girl planning?

But you didn't ask.

Instead, you simply nodded and she gave you a smile before pulling you to your closet and telling you to get dressed.

This should be interesting.

_A/N: Okay so since I'm not homeschooled, I have no idea how it works, therefore I just made up my own little thing for Quinn. Bear with me again here. And, surprise, surprise, Beth is going to be making an appearance. But, I promise things will get happier cause I'm drowning in angst at the moment._

_I honestly don't even know if this makes sense because I've read it over so many times._

_But, thoughts?_

_**Tumblr:**__ fate-has-laid-a-hand ... Follow that shit! c:_


	7. How Are You So Amazing?

_A/N: I haven't updated in forever! Dammnit, I'm so sorry. I have a bunch of excuses but you don't want to hear them and I don't feel like telling them. But thank you if you're actually still reading this! Anyway, on with the chapter! _

_Enjoy._

You couldn't fully remember the last time you had anything that resembled a real birthday, but it was probably when you were six years old. You could vaguely recall a cake and maybe a pinata, but you couldn't be too sure, since it had been so long along.

Your mother had been the one to plan your birthdays so after she left, she took the tradition with her. Your father hated talking about anything that had to do with your mother, and apparently your birthday was on that list.

Puck had always managed to snatch a day-old cake for you and somehow got enough money to actually buy you a small gift, every year that you were with him on your birthday.

But tonight was different.

You had gone out to dinner with your girlfriend and a close friend, and you momentarily forgot about all the shittyness that you life held. Santana and Brittany had earned your trust.

Actually, you didn't really know whether or not Brittany knew about your situation. You didn't think Santana would tell her, since it was a somewhat confidential subject, but you didn't think that you'd mind if she did.

Brittany had easily let you slide into the already tight friendship she and Santana shared and you had never seen somebody that saw the world so clearly through rose colored glasses. You would've thought that being friends with someone who was so carefree and optimistic would be annoying, but she actually managed to raise your mood most of the time.

So, you and your two closest friends spent the evening happily together. Brittany told a few embarrassing stories about when her and Santana were younger, and you laughed along with them, feeling as if you had actually been there too.

The amount of bread sticks that Santana ate was slightly shocking. How could a girl that was so tiny, fit that much bread in her? So, of course you and Britt teased her about it, and she threatened that she would go Lima Heights on both of your asses. She never did though.

Santana ordered a cake and much to your dismay, got the waiters to sing happy birthday to you. Maybe that was your punishment over the bread sticks thing.

But with all things considered, it was a pretty good day.

You and Santana went your separate way from Brittany after joking around at the restaurant for a while though. Brittany said that she had to be home at a certain time and couldn't come over, but you had a feeling that she just wanted you and Santana to have some alone time together. You made a mental note that you'd thank her for that later.

The car ride back home was relatively quiet. But it was a nice, comfortable kind of quiet. Santana drove with one hand on the wheel, and the other holding onto yours.

Santana gently pulled her hand away from yours so she could shut off the car as she pulled into the driveway. You figured that now would be a good time to speak up.

"San, I had an amazing night. Thank you so much," You said quietly, your eyes focused on the car floor. You weren't sure why, but you were a bit too embarrassed to make eye contact. Or maybe some of your old shyness was coming back.

The Latina leaned over and you could feel her press her soft lips against your temple. You smiled to yourself as a light blush tinted your cheeks. "Don't mention it, Q." Her voice is low and raspy and right next to your ear, sending chills right through your spine.

She moves back away from you and you finally meet her eyes. "But I have another surprise for you," She gets out of the car and you raise your eyebrows.

_What else could she possibly do?_ You wonder as you follow her up the steps to her house.

Santana swung the front door open and gestured for you to follow her into the dining room.

"Ta da!" She grinned widely, gesturing to a woman in a pantsuit with short blonde hair. She was sitting at the table, sorting through a stack of paper work.

"You got me a woman for my birthday?" You whisper with raised eyebrows as the woman, who was actually rather tall, stood up and walked over to the two of you as you fully entered the room.

Santana laughed quietly, shaking her head a bit. "No Q. This is-"

"Sue Sylvester. The best damn lawyer you'll ever meet." Sue extends her hand towards you and you really have no option but to shake it, seeing as she's quite an intimidating woman.

Santana gives Sue a tight lipped smile and you can tell that she's slightly annoyed with the fact that the blonde cut her off. "Miss Sylvester is my family's lawyer, and I texted her about the situation with your daughter earlier. She doesn't think you'd have a problem with getting her back."

Your eyes widen slightly as your gaze darts between your girlfriend and the stranger. "Seriously?" Is the only word you can manage.

Sue nods affirmatively. "She would have all her needs provided for, and I've already contacted Mr. Berry 1 and Mr. Berry 2 and they have no problem with her staying here." She pauses to look around the room for effect before saying, "And by the looks of it, there's certainly enough room for six people to be living here. Plus, you're the child's biological mother."

You weren't sure whether you were feeling ecstatic or scared shitless. It took a moment for you to regain your voice and another moment to realize that Santana had slipped her hand into yours. "Do I... I mean... Would I have to go to court?"

"Yes. Probably only once or twice though. And the Berrys also have to fax over a few documents stating that they consent to having both you and your daughter living here. Your father doesn't have a chance in this case." Her voice was so strong and confident that your confidence over the entire thing rose.

You beamed a smile at Sue before turning and flinging your arms around Santana's neck. She let out a small "oof" noise but took less than a second to return the embrace. "I can't believe you'd do all of this for me," You whispered into her shoulder, holding back happy tears.

"I hate seeing you unhappy, Q," She murmured back, making your body flood with warmth. "Plus," She added, "All babies should grow up with their mothers around."

The way she said that, made your heart clench with pain. You knew that she really never had the chance to get to know her mother that well and you could hear the sadness laced into her tone as she spoke those words.

Just as you were about to answer, Sue Sylvester cleared her throat.

Both of you simultaneously pulled away from each other and you turned back towards Sue with a slight blush.

"As much as I would like to watch teenage lesbians interact," Sarcasm was dripping from her tone, "Do either of you have anymore questions?"

You cleared your throat and nodded. "How long would it take for me to regain full custody of her?"

Sue began packing up her files and papers into her briefcase as she said, "Could be anywhere between two weeks and two months. It all depends on how hard your father is willing to fight a losing battle."

You nod to yourself before sticking your hand out towards her. "Thank you so much." Tears began stinging the corners of your eyes.

The woman couldn't help but smile as she shook your hand, then Santana's. You felt your girlfriend's free hand slip around your waist.

"We'll be in touch," She answered before lifting her briefcase off the table and exiting the house.

You turned to Santana again. "San..." You start shakily, knowing that tears are going to spill from your eyes at any moment. "Thank you. Thank you so much." Your words came out in a whisper and you slowly slid your arms back around her neck.

She didn't respond this time, she simply held you tightly and let your tears be soaked up by the material of her shirt.

"I have one more surprise for you," She muttered once your tears had stopped rolling.

Lifting your head from her shoulder, hazel eyes met brown. "Baby, you've already done more than enough. I've already got you, and now I'm going to have my daughter too. There's literally nothing else I want." There really wasn't though. You couldn't think of one more thing in this world that you could possibly want.

Santana just gave you a smile and took your hand in hers before she began tugging you up the stairs. You followed her in silent confusion until she pulled you all the way into the room that the two of you shared. "Stay right here," She softly commanded, letting go of your hand to rummage through her closet.

She pulled out a present that was wrapped in light pink paper, with a big hot pink bow stuck right to the middle of it. "Happy Birthday, Q." She smiled, pressing a kiss to your cheek and slipping the gift into your hands.

"Santana, why'd you do this?" You asked in fake exasperation, running your fingertips over the shiny paper.

The Latina rolled her eyes and nudged your shoulder. "Just open it." She stated, biting her bottom lip.

You obliged, ripping the wrapping paper off. When you saw what was underneath the pink paper, your breath caught in your throat and your eyes began to sting with tears all over again.

It was a gorgeous, antique looking wooden frame, with a picture of a smiling boy with a short Mohawk who looked about twelve, secured inside.

_In loving memory..._

Was scrolled in golden lettering on the top piece of the frame.

_Noah Puckerman._

Was written across the bottom in the same lettering.

It was the first and only picture you ever even saw of him. You let out a small, choked sob and clutched the picture close to your chest.

Santana wrapped her arms around your shoulders, and you weren't positive but you thought you could feel her crying as well.

"I... I never thought..." You jumble up your words and you need to breathe in deeply before you continue. "Never thought I'd see him again," You whimper against her shoulder, using one arm to keep the picture close and the other to snake around Santana's waist.

"It's the only picture I've even taken of him. I thought you'd want something to remember him by," You hear her mutter. Yes, she's definitely crying as well and the two of you just stand there holding each other tightly.

It takes a while, but you both eventually get yourselves under control. You break apart and prop up the frame on the bedside table. "You're going to have to stop making me cry," You joke quietly, wiping the last trace of tears from your cheeks.

Santana gives you a lopsided grin and rubs at her own eyes. "It's never on purpose, Q," She tells you even though you already knew that.

You grin back and lean over, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "I love you." Before you know what you're saying, the words just slip out. Your eyes go wide and you can't believe you actually said that to her face.

The room goes so quiet that you'd be able to hear a pin drop.

"S-Sorry, I mean, you don't have to say it back, it's just that, well that kind of slipped out and I know we haven't been dating that long so if you don't-" Santana cut off your rambling by gently pressing a finger to your lips.

"I love you too," She softly tells you, brown eyes sparkling and dimples on full display. She then drops her hand away from your mouth but you don't do anything expect stare at her in shock for a few minutes.

"Really?" You cautiously ask, looking into her eyes with a bit of shock.

She playfully rolls her own eyes again before pulling you close and capturing your lips with hers. But instead of kissing you, she gently sucks your bottom lip into her mouth and you can't hold back the microscopic whimper that escapes you as your eyes flutter closed. She nibbles on it for just a second before pulling back.

_Tease,_ you mentally grumble, pouting at her smirk. "Really." She nods. You feel butterflies flood your stomach as Santana reclaims your hand and climbs into bed, tugging you along with her. Neither of you seem to care that both of you are fully dressed as you slide under the covers.

"Happy Birthday, Q," She whispers into your ear, sending chills down your spine. Which was an odd feeling, since you were already so close to drifting off to sleep.

"Best birthday ever," You mumble, snuggling against her side. You can feel the smile that's on her lips as she kisses your forehead.

You roll so your back is turned to her, in the hopes of some major sleep-cuddling. The last thing you hear before you fall asleep is Santana clapping twice to shut the overhead light off. And the last thing you feel is her protectively wrapping her arm around you and assuming the role of the big spoon.

You think it's safe to come to the conclusion that it's impossible to not love this girl.


End file.
